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Chica Lit in the air, like springtime

Primavera is upon us, and with it comes the start of the season of Chica Lit.

From prolific Mexican-American chica lit powerhouse Mary Castillo comes the fabulous new “Switchcraft,” a clever take on the life-switch genre. Best friends Aggy and Nely, as different as night and day, find themselves trapped in each other’s bodies after a mishap at a New Age spa. Slim, stylish and single Aggie finds herself living the life of frumpy, harried mommy Nely – and vice versa. After years of each envying the other’s life, the friends are forced to face the realities of the others’ existence – and to draw new conclusions. (Avon, $13.95)

Also worth picking up is “Free Style,” the excellent, understated debut novel by famed Nuyorican playwright Linda Nieves-Powell. Funny, intelligent, and, above all, relevant, Free Style is an inspiring novel about two thirtysomething married moms – one who is separated and the other whose marriage is hanging on by a thread. They decide to escape their to-do lists to revisit their past at Club 90, a nightclub they frequented in the early nineties. There they meet up with old friends and lost loves and dance their troubles away to Lisa Lisa and C&C Music Factory. But when they’re hit with a shocking dose of reality, they must decide whether to stay in the past or move on. (Simon & Schuster, $9.99)